Switch OLED
So a couple of days ago, 7/15/21 at around 1 PM MDT, preorders for the Switch OLED went live at most retailers. I was prepared. I was at my computer at work with all the windows open: Amazon, Best Buy, GameStop, Target, Wal-Mart (yes, I alphabetized them on purpose). 1 PM came and... nothing. Best Buy still said "Coming Soon". GameStop changed from "Coming Soon" to "Not Available" before 1 PM even rolled over. About 15 or so minutes later, I actually had one in my cart at GameStop, but when I checked out, nothing. Best Buy was still Coming Soon several minutes after refreshing, so I went on my break and kept trying. Amazon and Wal-Mart didn't even list theirs at all.
My break was over, and I had to go back to work, but I kept trying Best Buy while shelving. I'd see a preorder button appear, click it and then be met with a grey Please Wait button instead. Best Buy was trying something new, making people 'wait in line' but waiting for the button to reappear and then try again. Well, after almost a half hour of doing this while shelving, I came back to my computer and tried again. Finally, I got one in the cart and tried to check out, but when I did, it said "Please pick a store". Apparently, Best Buy was only doing store pick up, and my default store didn't have any available. So, I clicked on Find a Store and was met with a message saying no store in 250 miles was available. I gave up on Best Buy after trying an additional 20 minutes. I went home for lunch and just felt defeated.
But then the funniest thing happened while I was laying down reading. After being so involved in Best Buy, I completely forgot about Target. When after refreshing them a little after 1, Target kept saying Coming Soon, but while I was reading, I got a sudden urge to check their site again, so I whipped out my phone, opened my Target tab, searched for the OLED, and there it was. I wanted the White model, but that was gone. The Red/Blue was still there so I went for it. I had it in my cart, went to check out, then was met with a prompt to reenter my credit card number, and then hilarity ensued! In a panic, I ended up ejecting all my credit cards across my bed. Scrambling for the one I wanted, I put it in after several fumbling attempts and then finally after entering the CCV, got the order in and had shipping confirmation! YES! Target saved me! I was sure I was going to lose it having wasted a minute or two trying to reconfirm my credit card number, but maybe that prompt was what saved me. Maybe they were holding it for me at that point, or maybe a thousand scalpers got tripped up at that point as well. Who knows? All I know is that I landed one!
Now, my goal was to get the white model because there's just something sexy about white on black. I also really wanted to try to secure it from Amazon, because I have a Visa Rewards card and I get 5X cash back from Amazon, so that would be about 19 dollars back. That would have taken some of the sting out of having to pay an extra 50 for this Switch, but at the time, I was just happy I got a Red/Blue from Target. But then yesterday, 7/16/21, I get a text from my good friend saying that preorders FINALLY went live on Amazon. Of course, I checked the text eight minutes after he sent it and of course, they were already gone. Not really that bummed out, I went back to work, but then about five minutes later, just like how I got that sudden thought to check Target, I got that thought to refresh the page. I had my tab open on the white model, and there it was! Pre-order to cart! I clicked it, confirmed purchase, and got it! I got the model I wanted where I wanted it and now I can get a bit of discount off it.
So yes, I was lucky. Everything turned out fine. Everything turned out fine when I was trying to preorder a PS5 .Everything turned out fine, much better actually when I tried to secure an Xbox Series X. Why, then, do I always get like this when system preorders happen? This is the third time in 10 months that I've had to deal with this. I should be getting used it to it, but I need to be honest with myself. I'm a victim of FOMO. I would have been FINE without the Switch OLED, but then the thought of not being able to play Switch games on a nice bright crisp OLED while everyone else was really started to bug me, and I feel like a hypocrite as I just talked about this in my previous blog. I said I wasn't going to get one because it was overpriced and not needed, but then the thought of missing out just took over. This shouldn't have been like the PS5, because the PS5 is an entirely new system with new features and games, so I understood the demand. I also saw nothing but "I'm not getting this!" from people online, yet they're all gone. Obviously, the scalpers played a large part in it.
It shouldn't have to keep being like this. For starters, retailers have GOT to implement better systems to ease the purchasing process and fight off scalpers. At least some are trying. Best Buy did the "Please wait" button and did store pick up only (which screwed me over), and Target made me reenter my credit card number. Amazon decided to be late to the party, so there's a good chance that people got tired of waiting on Amazon that opened up a window of opportunity for me to get one, but it's still chaos. A new system should not be selling out within minutes. If the retailers aren't going to put a stop to these scalpers, then the only other option would be to push back preorders until several million more units are available. Make it so that people who try to scalp have so much stock that it becomes worthless. But man, I miss the days where had several DAYS to just stroll into a game store and preorder a new system after it was announced, but the scalpers have really ruined that.
Steam Deck
And while arrogant Nintendo suckered us intopaying 50 dollars more for a Switch with a slightly better screen, Valve nonchalantly announced the Steam Deck, an absolute behemoth of a machine that really makes the Switch look pathetic. The base model is also only 50 dollars more than the Switch, but the high end model is 650 dollars, more than twice the price of an original Switch. The initial reaction is that because there's a much more powerful machine for just a little bit more that the Switch is in serious trouble, especially if you believe everyone telling you that everyone's just going to get a Steam Deck instead of a Switch and just emulate the games. Honestly, Nintendo is going to lose a few customers, but I don't think the Switch is doomed. In fact, I think the people who are trying to say it's doomed are just a very loud minority. Let's take a look at the Steam Deck.
I'm not going to break down the specs, because I'm not really the type of person that understands them much. I just want to point out a couple of obvious things with the design. Look at the d-pad and the face button's positions. They are so high up in the corners, along with the sticks that it seems like it'll be uncomfortable. Also, it's one solid unit; the controllers can't detach. A lot of people like the Switch for its hybrid set ups and Joy-Con customization, and the Steam Deck offers nothing for them.
It also has another problem: memory. The base model only has 64 gigs, but if want 512 gigs, you'll need to buy the pricey 650 dollar unit. The Switch has memory problems, too, but as Steam Deck is digital-only, that means it's a turn off to anyone who likes to collect their games in physical format. Yes, you can play your games much better on the Steam Deck, but you can't display them on your shelves. Believe it or not, physical is still a real big deal for a lot of people.
The market is also completely different. Again, some people looking to get a Switch will now pass it over for this, and some will just emulate Switch games, but Nintendo has a lot of loyalists. We are just so damned eager to throw money at Nintendo at every opportunity. How many just bought Skyward Sword again for 10 dollars more than when it first came out? *raises hand* Yeah, the emulation community is no threat to the Switch. The Steam Deck is primarily aimed at PC gamers, and the PC market was never in competition with Switch. Being in a portable form still doesn't change that.
Also, Valve, while they have made a few games of their own, aren't seen as a major game publisher like Sony, MS and Nintendo, so the Steam Deck honestly has no real identity. Sony markets with God of War and Horizon. MS markets with Halo and GamePass. Nintendo markets with Mario and Zelda. All Valve has to market is power, and historically Nintendo has never been beaten in the handheld market by more powerful hardware. This isn't to say that the Steam Deck is DOA. Far from it. It will be successful. Whether it will be successful enough to put a dent into Nintendo's market is something we're just going to have to wait and see, but I don't see it happening. It'll be a niche device that I honestly don't see lasting longer than the Vita.
PC and consoles have coexisted since the 8-bit days, and they'll continue to coexist well into the future. Anyone who keeps trying to say that "this is the last console generation" is just fooling themselves. The massive success of the PS5 and Switch, and hell, even the Xbox given the fact that you can play all their games on PC anyway, have proved it. I believe the Steam Deck and Switch will coexist for several years, but its presence should make Nintendo reconsider their business model regarding making cheap underpowered hardware. Nintendo should pay close attention to how well this Steam Deck does and if the Deck ends up being a runaway success, Nintendo should view Valve as a potential threat and begin to work on a more serious machine. As much as I love Nintendo, it's simply embarrassing to see such an underpowered machine still sell for upwards of 300 dollars. We deserve better, and we need someone to finally kick Nintendo's ass. Valve, the ball's in your court but you have got a LOT of work to do.
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